Marine “Magnificent Bastards” Seek Vengeance in Ramadi, Iraq
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 10 ก.ย. 2024
- Join us this week on Urban Valor as we listen to Nick Velez, a Marine Veteran whose roots are deeply planted in the vibrant streets of East Los Angeles. From his early dreams of military service to becoming an esteemed infantry rifleman with the "Magnificent Bastards," 2nd Battalion 4th Marines, Nick's story is a testament to courage, brotherhood, and the sacrifice.
Born and raised in East LA, Nick's passion for serving his country led him to the Devil Pups program, setting the stage for his enlistment in the Marine Corps. His deployment to Ramadi, Iraq, with the 2nd Battalion 4th Marines, (aka “The Magnificent Bastards”) that marked a period of intense combat.
The transition out of the Marine Corps was a pivotal moment for Nick. He co-founded "Bastard’s Canteen," a venture that paid tribute to the unbreakable bond shared among Marines. However, the journey took a heartbreaking turn with the loss of his close friend and business partner in a tragic accident.
This episode is a testament into the resilience and dedication of a Marine veteran. It's an exploration of the challenges and triumphs of military life and the transition back to civilian life.
Don't miss this compelling episode of "Urban Valor." Subscribe to our channel, like this video, and share your thoughts and support for veterans like Nick in the comments below. Let's honor their service and sacrifices together.
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#military #marine #urbanvalor #war #warstories #veteran #combatveteran
Hey brother, former doc with 2/4 F here a decade after you were there, thanks for being there. I think I can speak for my peers when I say we are honored to have walked in your footsteps to bear the name "Bastard". It's a blessing to listen to you tell the story that is part of the legacy we carried.
Thank you for serving with us brother 🫡 and appreciate you watching 👊🏼🇺🇸🤙🏼
I did'nt serve & i have always regreted that but i just want to say to all you guy's that you are my HERO's. Thank you so much for your service. Also i did went to sigh up but i was so in Love with my Boy's mom, my wife, girlfriend at the time, that i did'nt want to leave without her to bootcamp so me like a idiot that i was "Still am" had to sleep by her side every night. 😂
Great seeing a person I can relate to. I grew up in Cypress Park, NELA. I served 25+ retired MSgt USMC. Much respect brother! I was in Sergeant’s Course when 9/11 happened. I knew shit was about to get real. RIP to all those who we lost.
I was with Valez. 2/4 Echo 2004-2008. I just met up with our old XO from Ramadi last week. Lots of memories flooding back with this video.
Prove it.
Rah
When the interview began, my wife noticed his shirt and asked me if it was same Bastards in Temecula. Turns out it is. We are going down there when I get home. Great interview. See you soon.
Your older interview style was fine with my liking, but this one side of the conversation presentation style is next level. It really pulls the listener in. Keep them coming.
SF
Thanks brother. Semper Fi 🤙🏼🇺🇸👊🏼
This story really hits home. The young Devil Dog makes me and all other Marines proud. I’m now a proud Warrior for Christ. God bless you and Semper Fi
93-97
Appreciate it brother🙏🏼 Semper Fi 🤙🏼🇺🇸👊🏼
In 2006, the 3/5 snipers killed that sniper and returned the marine rifle to the 2/4
Took them 2 yrs to get it back and was missing the scope that went with it
My uncle was one of the 2/4 soldiers from those 4 soldiers
@@RealAaron317were you expecting to find the said rifle and scope laying around in a market place for sale?
@@nickyrr78exactly wtf
my family was close with Cpl parker (that sniper team leader) always heard story’s of him growing up and he was one of the factors that played in me joining.
Thank you for your service. To the vets that will see this comment, thank you for your service as well!
Much appreciated and thank you for watching 🙏🏼
What an amazing man! His story inspires me to push through the pain from life’s injustices and keep on moving forward. Much love to THE UNITED STATES MARINE CORP!! ❤❤❤
Thank you for watching and the support 👊🏼🇺🇸🤙🏼
I like your comment. I especially like your part about the pain from life's injustices and keep on moving. The second half of your point threw me off a little. I am not sure if you served in the military.
Be well, Ricardo
Former US Marine Corps infantry
Aloha Brothers🤙🏼…. I am not a veteran in any way, listening to this story is totally inspiring….the NEVER QUIT in our service members is a totally awesome thing, I only wish our government would attempt to even do half as much, as these brothers do for each other, they’ve earned to to say the least, SAVE THE BRAVE!..and GOD BLESS OUR VETS!
Semper Fi!!! E 2/12 0811/Cannon Cocker 1986-90.
Amazing thing about our Marine Corps is that no matter what generation that you served we speak the same lingo and no matter how much time has passed it’s like we served together. Awesome story and testimony Marine!
Semper Fi and appreciate you watching
My dad joined in 1986, I was in 2009-2012 . Definitely still the same lingo and shit talking 😂😂
Right on. I was Plt 2004 at PI and landed on the yellow footsteps Oct 15,1986.
I was a Doc in 2/4 Echo. 2004-07. I was only with 2/4 for a short amount of time but it's where the majority of my stories come from. Great times now that I'm out.
Oorah! USMC vet 2003-2011
Living near Portland, OR
👊🏼🇺🇸🤙🏼 thank you for serving with us brother🫡
My reaction while seeing this uploaded at work “yesssss” some background for me to listen to 🤞🏽
Amazing story! Keep this channel going. These are our contemporaries. Much love from Canada.
Thank you for watching 🙏🏼
Congratulations on your success brother! Semper Fi!
Much appreciated Semper Fi 👊🏼🇺🇸🤙🏼
Appreciate you and all you do, from LA 🇺🇸
Thank you 🙏🏼🇺🇸
Another Stellar interview. Marine Velez letting the civilians learn/hear the tapestry of battle, loss, & triumph. Thank you for your service Marine Velez🥰. Never Forgotten🇺🇸 Que Dios les bendiga ud y su familiares. Saludos ha su mama y papa.¡ Si se puede!🎉
Igualmente y Muchas Gracias Doña 🙏🏼
Wow, that was so inspiring. Congratulations to you and other veterans who put all this together. Nick, your parents must be proud.
Appreciate it 🙏🏼
The motorcycle accident reminds me of Corporal Andreas Moran of Delta Company 3rd AABN of 29 palms. I was on my R6 in Palm Springs when I got the call that he died in motorcycle accident and my phone blew up with everybody asking if I was with him. I’m so sorry for your loss.
Appreciate your support 🙏🏼
Great interview… Good looking out. Thank you for your service!
Appreciate you watching 👊🏼🇺🇸🤙🏼
I'm glad I found this interview. I was apart of the 2/4 Marines ( Weapons Company 81's Platoon) that got stuck in Oki 2002-2003 and then we deployed to Ramadi in 2004.
Thank you for your Service.
Appreciate you watching and for the support 🙏🏼🇺🇸🤙🏼
I wish these programs and resources existed for my father while I was growing up. He was a an 11B, don’t know exact details but I know he was airborne from 66-70 CIB Purple Heart god only knows what else. I don’t have words to describe how I feel about our Vets especially after growing up witnessing my father’s struggles. The things you guys do for each other during and after service is incredible! Seeing how Marines came together for each other’s families after my daughter’s ex husband was wounded I’ve never seen anything like it. You guys are truly a special breed as a civilian it has to be witnessed to really understand and appreciate it. ❤🫡🇺🇸
👊🏼🇺🇸🤙🏼thank you brother
That was an awesome interview. Semper Fi!
Nick,
It was a well thought out and very informative interview. I also served in the US Marine Corps infantry some years before you. Your ideas hit all the right keys. Your decision to join; your entry into the Marines; your combat experience; your enrollment in college & even a comment on Bush. I did four years, three Westpacs, completed Infantry Training School, now its SOI, completed Squad Leadership Course and Jungle Training Course. Events were happening but nothing like 1989- moving forward- to 2001.
Thank you brother. My condolences to the memories of all our service members, men and women who served and are no longer with us.
Next trip to California, I will definitely visit your restaurant.
Semper Fi brother
I grew up several years before in nearby Colton which is 54 miles east of downtown LA. This marine reminds me of so many people in my life. Most of my friends in Colton were first or second generation Mexican immigrants. I served with them as an altar boy, play basketball with them, rode around on homemade skateboards. Later, during my military years, I learned that gentlemen such as are very backbone of our nation’s defense. NCOs, in general, and Hispanic NCOs, in particular, in my experience, are the best of the best.
I enjoyed the interview, your an awesome Marine.
Not even a vet but this interview was great man, thank you for your service man. Y'all really put it all on the line
We appreciate your support 🙏🏼
Valez you are a 💎 , incredible story ! From start to finish, I’ve got nothing but respect for guys like you 👊
Hey brother God Bless you and all our Vets that have served 🙏 I served 1990-1999 ....😅U.S. AIR FORCE..served in Desert Storm 4404th Composite Wing Provisional .out of Dhahran.....Flight Engineer ✈️ on B-52 G model Air frame..any way much Love and respect brother..Our Oath of Enlistment never ends ...and even though this country seems to be going of the rails its always beautiful to see Ole Glory flying 🇺🇸....God Bless You and all who have served ....Keep your chin up and chest out you have lot to be proud of Devil Dog........Ssgt. Gerald F. DeRose USAF 8TH Air Force ..Air Combat Command 1990-1999...
Thank you for serving brother 🫡 God bless you to bro 🙏🏼🇺🇸🤙🏼
I was in 2/4 back in 2015. We still heard these stories. Thank you for you service brother. I was in weapons. 41. Stacy’s roughnecks. Rah
The trip you guys made that very next day, to check up on us, meant more to me than I knew it did! Miss you Nick!
Sorry to hear you lost another brother after combat. Thank you guys for your service and RIP.
Thank you 🙏🏼
U really are a special man. I pray for ur success with all ur doing. I was Army but I’ll say it for the brave. SEMPER FI!!!
Appreciate you brother. Semper Fi 👊🏼🇺🇸🤙🏼
Thank you for your valiant service 🇺🇲. Remember the old Randy Newman song, 🎶 I LOVE L.A. ❤
Thank you 🙏🏼🇺🇸👊🏼
Thanks brother Semper Fi
Semper Fi 🤙🏼🇺🇸👊🏼
former 0311 with 3/6 here, we spent all our time in al anbar, half of it in the center/north section of fallujah and the rest at fobs over by black water bridge and the ECP/fobs that were over there
Hell yeah. Ramadi was no joke. Blue Diamond 05. Shark Base 06-09.
Wow this is so bad ass. I grew up in S.G. down the street from Downey. I'm going to have to take my family here one day. Hey Nick thanks for your service. Thanks to all who have served. My biggest regret in life was not joining and staying in S.G. . Regret it everyday.
He's right. After the first firefight, it does get kinda "fun."
People who haven't experienced it just can't understand the intimacy and bonding that takes place when you've gone through that with brothers.
Anyhow, great interview.
Excellent interview. Thank you.
Appreciate it brother 👊🏼🇺🇸🤙🏼
@UrbanValorTV devil dogs in Bakersfield from 2/5 were in Ramadi early 2000s, they created the fraternity Ruptured Duck, headquarters Elks lodge Bakersfield. They head to the woods and celebrate the Marine corps Birthday every year. Been invited to a couple as a scumbag civilian friend. Check it out. Edit: All combat vets, flying in from multiple states. JFYI, Don't be near the Cannon when it goes off.
Last thing from the civilian world I heard getting ready to pull up to the gates of Parris Island was the song Headstrong by Trapt this was in 03 lol
You sir are an amazingly awesome human being!
My brother was a marine in the 1980’s . This is inspiring :)
Appreciate it. 🫡 to our fellow marine 🤙🏼
What a great story teller and overall message.
Thanks for watching 🤙🏼🇺🇸👊🏼
@@UrbanValorTVno problem man, keep up the great content
Wasn’t a Marine but served along side of them. I love you guys and gals! Best friends for life! Even if I don’t know you. I’m your brother in arms! Ramadi was a bitch but we showed them what the fux up!
Thanks for serving with us brother 🤙🏼🇺🇸👊🏼 and our brotherhood is for life 💯
@@UrbanValorTVyessir! Love your channel and the troops!
im so sorry for your loss, godspeed
As soon as I seen the planes hit the towers I thought to myself oh boy what did we do now? Then the expression on his face in the class room. After that the media was in control of everything 😢
Naw Arabs have always blown us up. They hit those same towers in 93
Black & Mexican here. The segregation story is too real. Noticed it in ITB and it was enhanced in the fleet. It became a way of life just like being in a prison system.
To survive the 0311 life during war time is sometimes reminiscent of a cult of war.
God bless you , brother. 🙏
Same to you brother 🙏🏼👊🏼🇺🇸🤙🏼
Another amazing interview! Thank you Nick!
I def prefer your other interview style we liked hearing you interact with them 🫠
Both are fine
I took my wife there back in 2019 and OMG the food was hella good. Semper fi
this is a great interview and this man is a great human being. God Bless
Phenomenal personal story, Marine!!!
I used to do missions down there at the GOVT center in 06 . Insane times
I was attached to 2/4 for a MEU in 09-10. Morning Bastards!
Bro the way you took the fight to city hall was straight G Man!!! 😂 Fight to win and any force multiplier you can use to your advantage to win with overwhelming force haahhaaa thats so 🔥
Semper Fi Marine! I served with your CO in 88-92 as "E3's"... Thanks for carrying the flag! (I first heard of "Bastards" on fb thru "Scotty" . Great story Marine!)... Sorry for your losses.
Appreciate your words and for watching 🙏🏼
One of my favorite channels BUT this channel is substantially quieter than every other one. I cannot hear any of the interviews without dead silence or head phones
Threw my earbuds in and listened intently. I remeber 9/11. I was in middle school. I joined in 2007. Got my own stories too 😅
This guy is a badass dude, much respect especially with the restaurant
This was a great episode❤
I've lived in Temecula for the past three years and havnt been to Bastards Canteen, unsat!
You should go and visit 🤙🏼
Great episode and guest
Fresno has a HUGE veteran population and a Marine Vet made some lawyers very successful behind a military themed brewery. You should connect with someone up here and I am positive you would do well.
I’m Fresno born and raised but ETSing out of Kentucky now, what’s this place called? I’ll definitely go support them next time I’m in Fresno!
Semper Fidelis 🙏🏾💪🏾🙏🏾💪🏾
Cookies tavern in Philly shuts down multiple city blocks for the birthday. Attracts 10's of thousands. They have done this for decades.
What a story!
Appreciate you watching brother 👊🏼🇺🇸🤙🏼
@@UrbanValorTV you’re welcome! And thanks for that y’all do!
Makes me feel a bit weird seeing interviews from people who served when I served, I used to chill and watch Vietnam veterans interviews
🫡thanks for serving with us brother 🙏🏼
@@UrbanValorTV you to brother, thank you
I was a 0311 for 6 years… I wish the best for you in your life. It was devils like your self that I miss the most to this very day.
My team leader was there with him. A couple of my seniors were there with him
Dude I need to order a shirt!!!! my dad was a MB in the late 70s !
Amazing
Appreciate it🙏🏼
12:00 I'm still mad they took me to that shitty ass Golden Corral outside of Beaufort. Nick, if you didn't know, the kids who go to Parris Island from the Charlotte MEPS go to a shitty Golden Corral lol. Food was ass.
Went to boot from Florida in 2015, drove to Parris Island in some van shit with other recruits. We also stopped at a shitty Golden Corral prior to actually pulling up to Parris Island lol
as someone from eastern nc, it could hav ebeen worse. you could have went to that shitty mcdonalds right by mcas cherry point lol
yoy can really tell the difference in overall culture and structure between the Vietnam vets interviews and the newer army interviews
I've never heard of recruits wearing Charlies in boot camp. In 93, all we had was our cammies.
We got Charlie’s in boot camp, but I was Parris Island, we got Blues too… October 2nd 1992, Graduated Boot camp in Delta’s, don’t remember ever wearing Charlie’s during boot camp though…
@bobbertee5945 We got them but it wasn't until 3rd phase but we never had them to wear to church.
Went through boot in 2015 at Parris Island, we wore charlies there. I believe it was only in later phases. I remember wearing them to church at some point as well
The day before graduation we walked in Charlie's with our families 90
🔥🔥🔥🔥
I was the Tattooer of Marines in Yuma for 5 years and beyond. I’ve lived and fought with and have been in police pinches and have been broke and alone and ballin and happy with these guys. Fuckin Marines lol. Much love. To them and my other armed forces folks
Bro, Rutbah was still hot af even after you guys were there. Idk how long your company was there but my battery. . . Yes battery. . . Who's idea was it to mission an artillery battery with an infantry mission? Idk but there we were. We had three understrength squads working the TCPs on the outskirts along Mobile, east end of town along Michigan, and the south road. I can't remember that road name anymore but we called it Stacey's Mom. We Relieved an army grunt unit there in 07. Still had sniper threat. Still got into tics. Still had IED makers operating there. My platoon was the only unit that did patrols and ops in the actual city. We lived out of the old British fort that the iraqi police turned into their station. The work Marines did in Rutbah is overshadowed by Fallujah and Ramadi. Good to see other Marines who know the place.
Old Marine.........platoon 357. Semper Fi!!
🫡 much respect brother. Thanks for serving🇺🇸 Semper Fi bro 🤙🏼🇺🇸
Oh shit this hit me. The accident on Stuart and Grey. My buddy passed last year on paramount and Del Amo. Also on a motorcycle accident 9-28-23. I also lost my best friend who was his cousin on paramount and imperial. He was killed by Downey pd . Mistaken for a 211 suspect was running because he had weed in his pocket and was out on a date with his wife for his birthday. So many fucked up things have happened on this st.
My condolences brother 🕊️
I was with 7th Comm, in Hawaii, Bravo Co. in the mid 90’s….. we were always scrapping with grunts… lol….
Definitely need your restaurant in athens ga
Hero…and think these brothers sacrifice for each other and support each other and the government who sends them to die turns their back on them but has billions for non citizens and Ukraine and Israel
Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld should all be in prison. This coming from a guy that would never vote D.
Squared away Killers we got you essay
It’s sad to say, but I think it’s gonna take something like that to happen again for us Americans to unite. I’ve never seen this country this divided. thank you to every Veteran I was a selfish piece of crap and that’s one of my biggest regrets was not enlisting
Hahaha I got that cheeseburger meal at Denny’s
I heard a story of a sniper talking about killing an enemy sniper who was in a vehicle and had and was using an American rifle taken off of a K.I.A sniper team.. I'm pretty sure it was the enemy sniper he was talking about in this video that the guy ended up nailing.
Dude's the Hispanic Lars Ulrich
The part where he said "i swear on my mothers life"... aah brings back memories. Haah as my mom would say. Te va a castigar dios por mentir! 😂😂🇺🇲❤
😂😂🤙🏼🇺🇸👊🏼
There was a story that some special forces snipers (not sure who or what group) killed a sniper in a car that had a Marines rifle. Sounds like it may be the same one that was taken off of your buddy
Homie said …… RIGHT…… 7 million times…..
I respect the guy for serving our country but how many right,right,you going to say?
Oorah 2/4 Magnificent Bastards!🤙🏼 Damn I kept watching and saw you were also Alpha in ITB😂crazy I was many years later though
What do Marines and Bananas' have in common?
(A Marine in Ar Ramadi told me this joke while we were under fire at the Govt center in 2005.He told me and Army bastard told him the month before and he said it was the best Marine joke he had ever heard...I was Army) I served alongside 1/4, 2/4, 1/5, 2/5 during my 04-05 rotation in Ramadi.
Punch line?
Oooh Rah!
Right.